Salamander Survey

With this warm weather, our forests are quickly losing their snow and ice cover.  What remains are hundreds of ephemeral ponds.  Ephemeral ponds are temporary water structures that exist in depressions areas on the forest floor that are filled with the spring melting of snow.  They don’t last long, but perform a very important role to some of our woodland critters.  In particular I am talking about our salamander populations.  They will migrate to these pools to lay their eggs-this usually happens once the ponds are formed and we receive a nice rain.  It tends to be a mass migration and in some cities they are reported to be converging on these ponds by the hundreds!

However, there is not much known about the population of Wisconsin’s salamanders.  Where are they?  How many are there?  What species live where?  Are their numbers declining?  There is an attempt to answer these questions on the part of the Wisconsin Salamander Survey.  Started by Randy Korb in 2008, I have been involved for the past four years, collecting information on our salamander population by setting up traps in nearby ephemeral ponds.  This survey is set up as a trap-checking survey.  Five salamander traps are placed throughout an ephemeral pond, half submerged (see photo of trap).  The traps are checked daily, for five days straight for collected salamanders-once they crawl in, they can’t crawl out.  Information is taken and then they are released.  We also record information on weather conditions, water temperature, when we had the last rain, and any other amphibian species we might encounter at the site. 

The most common salamander species we have seen during our surveys here at the Discovery Center is the Blue-spotted Salamander.  In the Northwoods we also have the following species: Spotted Salamander, Central Newt, Four-toed Salamander (rare), Red-backed Salamander and the Mudpuppy (an exclusively aquatic salamander).  I put the traps out on Monday, March 19^th and will conclude the study on Saturday, March 24^th. 

If you are interested in becoming a part of the statewide salamander survey, please visit Randy Korb on Facebook by typing in “Wisconsin Salamander Survey” or his website at http://www.rkthefrogguy.com/salamander.htm where you can also find information and the results of the study from 2008-2011.

I also have a bit of sad news to report.  Whilst I was putting out my traps, I of course donned my favorite rubber boots-I’ve had them for about 7 years.  I took one step into that cold woodland pond and my right boot immediately started to fill with chilly water.  Bummer.  Maybe I can use them as planters. J